It's hard to win the battle of words when media outlets insist on calling conservative Democrats "moderate" and "centrist." When polls show that the vast majority of voters in both parties support raising taxes on the rich, insisting on protecting the revenue stream of millionaires and billionaires is hardly a "moderate" position. Just sayin', Josh Marshall:

Moderate Senate Democrats are signaling strong resistance to tax increases in the President's deficit-reduction plan, and the early disapproval within his own party will no doubt give Republicans on the deficit super committee plenty of cover to block any and all revenue-raising aspects of Obama's plan.

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) told reporters Monday night that he's put off by all the talk about increasing taxes when he believes the primary and only goal of the deficit super committee should be finding cuts to hack away at the deficit.

"Tax increases have to come second to cutting," he said. "I was just home over the weekend and that's what [my constituents] we're all talking about."

Which constituents, Ben? Oh, you mean your largest donors, like Big Pharma and the finance industry! Bless your heart!

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), who represents a state whose economy is dependent on energy production, last week said the offset for Obama's new spending plans, which includes the elimination of oil and gas subsidies, "was not going to fly."

"Terrible," Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) told Politico last week when asked about the president's ideas for how to pay for the $450 billion price tag. "We shouldn't increase taxes on ordinary income. ... There are other ways to get there."

Clearly trying to withhold her opposition -- at least for the day, Landrieu ducked into an elevator when reporters tried to stop her Monday night to ask her opinion about the President's speech.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), a co-chair of the deficit super committee, gave an oblique response when asked Monday night about her response to the President's speech and how it would affect the super committee's work, noting that she hopes the panel can take a "fair and balanced" approach.

"Fair and balanced." Hmm. Where have I heard that one before? Oh yeah, it's wingnut foreplay - i.e. the sweet nothings they whisper in your ear right before they stick it to you!